CHS: What have you been working on most recently? Can you describe a bit about your process and the themes you’ve been exploring?

MH: I’ve been painting; examining “broken,” which has been a thread through all my work. My return to painting has been a long time coming as it has been more or less repressed for over a decade. Cow House was where I broke my seal and got back into it.

CHS: You rode your bike a lot while you were here at Cow House. What did you discover? How did this change the way you viewed the landscape… the people you met… the art you made?

MH: Biking allows me to examine landscape and culture at “ADHD half-speed” while remaining in a meditative-like state. The repetition, the breathing, the focus, the clarity. Here, in this active stasis, my mind and body reach a personal frequency. It’s like I’m both the tuning fork and the instrument needing tuning and as I ride, these two frequencies align in perfect harmony. Here, I can entertain and explore ideas, thoughts, observations without pressure or consequence. God, I sound like such an art turd.

CHS: You have been teaching at USC in the new media department. Has working with students changed your practice or given further insight into your own creative process?

MH: I really love teaching. The students bring a new energy to my life and my practice. It’s an exchange of goods. I keep a very open classroom where everything flows freely. I truly see this as the best way of learning and teaching.

CHS: What is your most vivd memory from your time here in Ireland? How did your residency at Cow House inform you as an individual?

MH: The dinners. Frank, you can cook man. Really, the community Cow House put together was the best part. I loved our hike up the mountain. Magical 🙂

CHS: Considering your interest in commercial language, how has living in Los Angeles played an essential role in your own work? Is it helpful to occasionally remove yourself from the culture of the city, or do you find it difficult to make things while you are away?

MH: LA has had a tremendous impact on how I work. Being involved in the entertainment, commercial and art worlds simultaneously. I feel like maybe I got too far in the lion’s mouth though and I’m stepping back now, slowing down, kinda going to the country while remaining in LA. I’ve come to love LA, it’s like a huge f*cked up wonderful collage.